Jim Parsons Page 4

It's been over 14 years since they first got together, but now Jim Parsons has finally gotten to marry the love of his life Todd Spiewak according to reports. That's definitely the news we needed after the recent 'Big Bang Theory' season 10 finale. 

Todd Spiewak and Jim Parsons at the 2016 GLSEN Respect Awards

Jim Parsons officially tied the knot with his art director partner Todd Spiewak at the iconic New York club and restaurant the Rainbow Room on Saturday night (May 13th 2017); a rep for the actor confirmed the news this week and social media have gone crazy with congratulatory messages.

Continue reading: Jim Parsons Weds Love Of His Life After 14 Years

It was the 200th episode of CBS' 'The Big Bang Theory' last night (February 25th 2016) and, as part of this milestone celebration, we got to experience Sheldon Cooper's first ever adult birthday party. It was an episode that really showed how far he's come as a human being.

'The Big Bang Theory' celebrates 200th episode with Sheldon's birthday

Sheldon (played by Jim Parsons) has changed a lot over the last nine years. Not only is he in a long-term relationship, but he's finally given Amy Farrah-Fowler the intimacy she's been waiting so long for and he's learnt a lot about proper social interaction. He's resolved long-held feuds (Wil Wheaton) and worn some epic T-shirts, but the 200th episode was just a little bit different.

Continue reading: Sheldon Cooper Gets Birthday Party To Remember In 200th Episode Of 'The Big Bang Theory'

‘The Big Bang Theory’ and network CBS are being sued by the heirs to a New Hampshire teacher over the ‘soft kitty’ song featured in the show. The daughters of Edith Newlin, who wrote a poem about a "soft kitty” in the 1930s, claim the show is violating their copyrights by using the lyrics.

‘The Big Bang Theory’ is facing legal issues over its ‘Soft Kitty’ song.

Fox News reports that the lawsuit claims the show used lyrics written by Newlin without buying the rights. It claims that in 2007, Warner Bros. Entertainment and the show's other producers sought permission to use the poem’s lyrics from Willis Music Co., a Kentucky-based company that had published them in a book called Songs for the Nursery School.

Continue reading: 'The Big Bang Theory' Producers Facing Copyright Lawsuit Over 'Soft Kitty' Song

If you thought the most exciting moment of 2015 was going to be watching 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', you'd be totally wrong. In fact, the most significant moment of 'The Big Bang Theory' so far probably tops even that. Sheldon Cooper has finally relinquished his virginity. And it's perfect.

TV's most adorable couple finally get it on

For this socially awkward, genius physicist played by Jim Parsons, intimacy and romance has always been a huge problem. Girlfriend Amy Farrah Fowler is a little more into those areas, but her patience over her five-year relationship with Sheldon has been remarkable; content with holding hands, infrequent hugs and occasional brief kisses, she deserved a little more passion from her long-term boyfriend.

Continue reading: Sex Or Star Wars? Sheldon Cooper Makes The Right Decision In 'The Big Bang Theory'

It’s been a long time coming for ‘Big Bang Theory’ fans, but it looks like Sheldon and Amy are finally going to consummate their relationship in an upcoming episode of the show’s ninth season. The couple have long been a fan-favourite pairing on the series, but at the end of season eight viewers had feared the two could be finished for good.

The cast of ‘The Big Bang Theory’.

During season eight’s finale earlier this year, Amy (played by Mayim Bialik) ended her relationship with Sheldon (Jim Parsons) over Skype, saying that she needed time alone. So far in season nine we’ve seen Sheldon attempt to woo Amy back with little luck, but it seems this could be set to change very soon.

Continue reading: 'Big Bang Theory's' Amy And Sheldon's Relationship Is Set To Take A Giant Leap In Upcoming Episode

The 66th Prime Time Emmys are kicking off tonight at 8pm EDT on NBC, and with plenty of long-running shows still in the mix to pick up awards, plenty of actors, actresses, comedies dramas and miniseries are ready to make Emmy history with their potential wins. 

Will Bryan Cranston win again for Breaking Bad?

In terms of ‘first timers’, Netflix's "Orange is the New Black" and  "House of Cards" could become the first online shows to pick up high end Emmy Awards. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, the popular comedy, Modern Family and AMC’s five-season meth drama, Breaking Bad, could also make history. Modern Family could tie with Frasier on five awards for best Comedy Series, while Bryan Cranston could go level with Dennis Franz on four Best Actor in a Drama awards.

Continue reading: The 66th Prime Time Emmy: Who’s In Line To Make History?

Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki have signed deals worth $1 million per episode to continue on The Big Bang Theory for an eighth, ninth and tenth season, tripling their current $350,000-an-episode salaries.

The cast of The Big Bang Theory have scored generous pay hikes

As the Hollywood Reporter notes, when the cast of Friends united to score $1 million per episode deals in 2012, the show was doing nearly 25 million viewers a week. Twelve years later, The Big Bang Theory generates about 20 million, with half the ratings of the NBC stalwart. Nevertheless, Cuoco, Parsons and Galecki teamed up with just weeks to go before the new season's production start date and CBS had to listen. 

Continue reading: The Big Bang Theory: Cuoco, Parsons, Galecki Earning $1 Million Per Episode

The Big Bang Theory Season 8 is back on track after the folks at Warner Bros TV picked up the toys from the boardroom floor and placed them carefully back in Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, and Johnny Galecki’s respective prams. 

The core Big Bang cast

The trio has been asking for ‘Friends money’, something akin to what the gang were getting per episode for the last two seasons of the legendary sitcom, anyway. And while, to many sensible humans that seems like an incredibly skewed and selfish outlook on life, they are attracting ‘Friends viewing figures’, so it was only a matter of time before they were given what they were demanding. 

Continue reading: No Big Surprises As Big Bang Theory Stars Sign Big Contracts For Big Money

Season 8 of The Big Bang Theory is mercifully being delayed over contract disputes between Warner Bros. TV and Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kayley Cuoco, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar. According to E! Online, the contract standoff has been going on for a while, but it’s only now that the impasse is beginning to affect production.

The contract standoff is becoming a problem.

Continue reading: "The Big Bang Theory" Is Hitting Production Delays Over Big Pay Demands From Stars

The finale of season 7 of The Big Bang Theory left viewers gasping for answers with regard many obstacles that seem to have fallen in the gang’s way. In reality the future of the main cast is also uncertain as their contract negotiations continue to be disputed. What is certain about this hit comedy, however, is it popularity. Here we look at the seven reasons, for seven seasons, why it's such a firm favourite with viewers worldwide.

Jim Parsons character [bottom left], Sheldon Cooper, is a big reason why The Big Bang Theory is so popular

Sheldon Cooper

Continue reading: 7 Reasons For 7 Seasons: Why 'The Big Bang Theory' Is Such A Hit

Production of season 8 of the TheBig Bang Theory is yet to be confirmed as the stars of the show and its production company continue to wrangle over contract negotiations.

Jim Parsons' character Sheldon Cooper is the show's stand-out comedy character

According to Deadline.com, the entire original cast have not signed new contracts and a major issue which is dragging the deal is thought to be the actors’ pay-per-episode amount.

Continue reading: Are The Cast Of 'The Big Bang Theory' Worth $1 Million Per Episode?

Stars gathered for the New York premiere of Zach Braff’s spiritual sequel to ‘Garden State’, ‘Wish I Was Here’ on Tuesday night (July 15). 

The film sees indie favourite Braff back in the movie game following a hugely successful turn as ‘JD’ in hospital comedy-drama Scrubs. Following the sitcom, he found critical acclaim and a cult following with ‘Garden State’. 

‘Wish I Was Here’ is about a single father trying to experience life and raise his kids at the same time. It stars Donald Faison, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Jim Parsons, Ashley Greene, Joey King, Mandy Patinkin, and James Avery and will be released this Friday  (July 18) by Focus Pictures. 

Continue reading: New York Premiere Of 'Wish I Was Here' [Photos]

'The Big Bang Theory’ has just been renewed for three more seasons, meaning that by 2017 the sitcom will be on its tenth season. So what is it about the show revolving around three geeks and their neighbours that’s made everyone love it so much?

'The Big Bang Theory' has just been renewed for three more seasons

Starting will a simple premise, a ‘hot’ girl moves across the hall from two geeks and gets drawn into their world of comic books and science, 'The Big Bang Theory’ has grown into quite the cultural phenomenon. Indeed for a simple sitcom its spawned an impressive range of merchandise ranging from t-shits to mugs and even toys. Who would have thought back when the show first aired in 2007 that it would have quite such a wide ranging appeal. The show started off trying to fill the void left by 'Friends', with an apartment building setting, a will they wont they love story and a cast of characters all with their own unique idiosyncrasies.

Continue reading: Why Do We Love 'The Big Bang Theory' So Much?

The Big Bang Theory, which debuted back in 2007 and has been an exponentially rising in popularity ever since, will be on TV screens for another 3 seasons following CBS’s order. This will take the sitcom into double figures with a total of 10 series – can it go even further?

Sheldon and Howard work things out in the season 7 finale

 If these stats continue, there’s no reason why not; The Big Bang Theory is currently averaging 19.79 million viewers with a 6.1 rating in adults 18-49, and a 7.8 in adults 25-54. Any performances akin to that in the 8th, 9th or 10th season, then you can expect to see 11 and 12.

Continue reading: CBS Can't Get Enough Of The Big Bang Theory - 3 More Seasons Please

'The Big Bang Theory' isn't going anywhere soon, not until 2017 at least. CBS announced on Wednesday (March 12th) that it has ordered three more seasons of the hugely successful sitcom.

'The Big Bang Theory' will air on CBS for three more seasons

The geeky-themed show will now run for ten seasons, until the 2016-2017 television calendar, which puts it on the same par as the universally loved sitcom 'Friends'.

Continue reading: CBS's 'The Big Bang Theory' Renewed For Three More Seasons

HBO are ready to present their brand new TV film, The Normal Heart, which will be making its way onto small screens in late May. Based on Larry Kramer's eighties-set play of the same name, the plot has been built upon by Glee's Ryan Murphy: "I worked with Larry on the script for three years. We broke it out to 40- to 45 percent new material, and it's pretty broken out from the play," he told THR.

Starring Mark Ruffalo and Matt Bomer in the lead roles, The Normal Heart is a love story framed by the horrors of the AIDS epidemic and America's sexual politics and gay attitudes at the time. The drama also stars Julia Roberts, Taylor Kitsch and Jim Parsons and follows gay activists and medical professionals in New York City as they try to unravel the AIDS crisis.

Continue reading: 'The Normal Heart': Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer Show Their Love In HBO Romance

So, reviews for Lena Dunham’s stint hosting Saturday Night Live have been a very mixed bag. While her sitcom Girls has been met with international acclaim, Lena also has her fair share of critics out there. Particularly those who slam the 27 year old for her regular nudity on Girls and, well, pretty much every other appearance she does. Her SNL hosting job last Saturday to mark International Women’s Day was no exception.

Funny woman Lena Dunham hosted last weekend's Saturday Night Live

The highlight for us, and many others who reviewed the sketch show, had to be the ‘Biblical Movie‘ sketch. Appearing as Eve, Lena characteristically wears no clothes, alongside SNL’s Taran Killam, who played Adam (Driver). Genius. The result was a smorgasbord of feminism, while Lena also customarily poked fun at herself (appearing surrounded by decimated apples).

Continue reading: The Critics Have Their Say On Lena Dunham Hosting 'Saturday Night Live'

Lena Dunham will host the second episode of the new season of Saturday Night Live, which will be broadcast on the 8th March, according to Deadline. The Girls creator will be making her hosting debut on the comedy entertainment show during the same episode that Brooklyn rockers The National are set to also grace SNL for the first time.

Lena Dunham Will Host 'SNL' On The 8th March.

SNL has parodied Lena Dunham's HBO comedy before, in the memorable skit where Tina Fey plays a new girl from Albania in a send-up of the core characters' entitled lives. Now Lena will in turn make her mark on the show after having called the hilarious SNL parody of Girls "a true honor."

Continue reading: Lena Dunham To Host 'SNL' As The National Make Their Musical Debut

'The Big Bang Theory' star Jim Parson will be guest host for the returning 'Saturday Night Live' on March 1st.

This will be the 40 year-old's SNL hosting debut, and he will be joined by musical guest Beck who will be making his seventh appearance on the late night comedy-sketch show.

Beck's upcoming album 'Morning Phase' hits stores one week before the show airs, on February 25th.

Continue reading: 'The Big Bang Theory' Star Jim Parsons Booked To Make 'SNL' Hosting Debut On March 1st

Zach Braff returned to the director's chair with Wish I Was Here, as the Scrubs star finally followed up his cult favourite Garden State. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival this week to almost unanimous praise (it currently holds a 9.5 rating on IMdB), with Braff and co-stars Kate Hudson, Josh Gad and Mandy Patinkin sitting down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the film before the premiere.

Hudson and Braff in a scene from Wish I Was Here

Whilst Braff discussed the freedom of working independently, having the bulk of production costs paid for through crowd funding via Kickstarter, it was Hudson who seemed the most overwhelmed with the movie as she explained the emotional connection she felt towards the film and not just because she and Braff had wanted to make a film together for some time.

Continue reading: Kate Hudson Felt Compelled To Join Zach Braff's Emotional 'Wish I Was Here'

The nominations for the 2014 Golden Globe Awards were revealed this week and although there were few surprises in the movie nominations; in the television categories however, it's time for change in the established order of critically-acclaimed TV. Former nomination regulars like Mad Men and Homefront are nowhere to be seen in the nominees lists, replaced instead by the new order of critically-acclaimed shows.

Master of Sex, along with House of Cards, is now the show to beat

Master of Sex and House of Cards now look like the shows to beat, with Breaking Bad making what will be its final appearance at the Golden Globes with the series ending this year. This comes just a year after Homeland achieved the impressive feat of winning Best Drama Series, Best Male Actor and Best Female Actor all in one night, although this does mark the second year in a row that the 2007-2009 winner Mad Men has not appeared in the Best Drama category.

Continue reading: Golden Globes 2014 Celebrates New Shows Over The Old As Television Nominations Are Revealed

Jim Parsons, star of the hit nerd comedy 'The Big Bang Theory', has found the funny side in wrong tabloid reports, claiming that he has been to Neil Patrick Harris for advice about getting a surrogate parent in order to start a family. 40-year-old Parsons has been part of an 11-year relationship with his boyfriend Todd Spiewak, and despite claims that the two were planning to get married, Parsons has denied these claims. Using this as a basis, Parsons has gone on to launch a rant against incorrect tabloid journalism.

Related: The Big Bang Theory: Cuoco, Parsons, Galecki Earning $1 Million Per Episode

According to 'America's National Enquirer', Parsons has been trying to start a family recently, going as far to question Harris about how his experiences with a surrogate to get twins Gideon and Harper. But the television star is now fighting the claims, supposedly baffled by the way in which tabloid journalists have repeatedly reported false news in such detail that is has caused his problems with his friends and family.

Continue reading: Jim Parsons Fights Faked Claims He Is Looking For A Surrogate Mother

After watching her sister Kaley Cuoco become rich and famous through CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory, Briana Cuoco seems to have decided she'd like a taste of that fame and wants to make her name as a singer.

Kaley Cuoco Better Watch Out! A New Star Is Rising In Her Family.

Briana's name may not be as big as her big sister's but she's been steadily working her way up for years, appearing on CBS' The Mentalist and HBO's The Newsroom. She even made a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory this year where she starred as a restaurant guest and helped choreograph a flash mob as a surprise for the show's creators.

Continue reading: Kaley Cuoco's Sister Briana Auditions On 'The Voice', 'The Big Bang Theory' Gang React

The Voice returned to TV screens on Monday night (23 Sept.) and among the surprises in store for viewers was the appearance of The Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco and her sister, Briana, who will appear as a contestant this season. Briana and her famous sis were shown in a short clip when presenter Carson Daley informed her that she will be taking on the judges for a blind audition later in the season.

Kaley will obviously have nothing but support for her sister when she does appear on the show, and she isn't alone as her Big Bang Theory co-stars have also given Briana the thumbs up and said she should do well on the show. The news that Briana will appear on the talent contest slipped out earlier than the opening episode of the fifth season of The Voice thanks to Twitter. This gave Access Hollywood ample time to quiz Kaley's co-stars on the subject on the red carpet before the 65th Emmy Awards on Sunday.

“She has a beautiful voice,” Mayim Bialik, who plays Dr Amy Farrah-Fowler on the show, told AH, adding, “She is phenomenal. She’s very, very talented.”

Continue reading: 'Big Bang' Stars React To Kaley Cuoco's Sister Auditioning For 'The Voice'

The 65th Primetime Emmy awards are here and the best and most talented personal that television has to offer have arrived at the Nokia theatre in Los Angeles.

Comedy series 'The Big Bang Theory' has come away victorious as the shows star Jim Parson won his third Emmy for 'Outstanding Lead Actor in Comedy Series'.

Parsons, who plays the geeky and socially awkward Sheldon Cooper in the CBS comedy has now achieved a hat trick at the television award ceremony with previous wins for the same award coming at the 2010 and 2011 Emmys.

Continue reading: Emmy Awards 2013: Jim Parsons Completes Emmy Hat Trick For 'The Big Bang Theory'

Two of the ladies of The Big Bang Theory cast - Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch - have reportedly banded together and earned themselves a significant pay increase for the show’s upcoming season. After a highly rated previous season and given the kind of script they’ve had to work on, it sounds like a well deserved raise, although the exact amount has not been announced by Deadline, who originally reported the story.

Parsons heads up a cast of extremely well paid actors.

However, according to CNN, both actresses new salaries are somewhere in the neighborhood of $60,000 per episode, which is more than double their current salaries of $20,000 - $30,000 per episode. That’s not the end of the pay raises though – by the end of their contracts, both Bialik and Rauch are expected to earn about $100,000 per episode.

Continue reading: The Ladies Of 'The Big Bang Theory' Band Together To Demand Higher Paychecks

The cast of The Big Bang Theory are reportedly in talks to be paid a higher salary per episode filmed. The show's three lead actors, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki, are seeking potentially enormous pay rises and will negotiate with the show's bosses to reach an agreement.

Jim Parsons, AKA Sheldon Cooper, Could Earn Up To $1M Per Episode.

Parsons, Cuoco and Galecki, who's characters Sheldon, Leonard and Penny sit at the centre of the show's events, currently get paid $325,000 per episode. The last time the trio negotiated a pay rise was in 2010 but the show has since seen a much higher level of success.

Continue reading: Big Bang Theory Cast Pestering For More Cash Per Episode

The CBS cable channel has gone dark in several of its largest US markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas and several others. The blackout was due to the cable provider not reaching a contractual agreement with Time Warner Cable. Other channels, owned by CBS have also been dropped, including Showtime, TMC, FLIX and Smithsonian. About 3 million paying customers in the blackout areas will lose all CBS services for the time being.

Time Warner issued a statement, apologizing to customers for the inconvenience: "CBS has refused to have a productive discussion. It's become clear that no matter how much time we give them, they're not willing to come to reasonable terms.”

Meanwhile, CBS also broke their silence on the matter, saying in a statement, quoted by USA Today: "We deeply regret this ill-advised action, which is injurious not only to our many affected viewers, but also to Time Warner Cable itself."

Continue reading: Time Warner Institutes Nationwide CBS Blackout: LA, NYC And Dallas Lose Biggest Cable Channel

Matilda: The Musical and Kinky Boots will be fighting it out for the most coveted prize in theatre on June 9th, as the Tony Awards are once again announced from Radio City Music Hall, New York. And for the fourth year running, Neil Patrick Harris will be the host.

Jim Parsons and Kristin Chenoweth announce the nominees for last year's Tony Awards

Usually, The Tony Award is a done deal long before the actual ceremony, with one stand out show impressing above and beyond its contemporaries. "It's kind of an unusual year in that it appears to be an actual race...there's no clear front-runner. Like in the year of 'The Book of Mormon' or the year of 'The Producers,' it was sort of clear that they were the one and only front-runners," said Gordon Cox of Variety. "This year, I think going into the season a lot of people thought 'Matilda' given the strength and critical praise for it would have been the clear front-runner -- and it's one of them. But I think a lot of people are surprised by the strength of 'Kinky Boots.' So it seems like there's quite a bit of affection out there for that show. I think it's actually sort of a nail-biter."

Continue reading: Tony Award 2013: A Battle Of The Musicals?

Thursday (May 16) night's episode of the Big Bang Theory ushered out the latest series of the sitcom in thoroughly underwhelming fashion, ending the sixth season of the show in the same kind of style that has existed throughout the show's current run.

This series ended, as the show so often does when it comes to wrapping up a series, with question marks hovering above Penny and Leonard's relationship. Leonard had been given the opportunity of a lifetime to work with with Stephen Hawking, unfortunately this will mean he has to spend four months on a boat in the middle of the North Sea. As Sheldon noted, Leonard and Penny have never been better and four months apart may change things for the worse. Then again Sheldon doesn't like to be alone, does he, so he would come up with a dilema to potentially keep his roommate and best friend in Pasadena.

Still, this was a valid point by Sheldon, but by the end of the episode Leonard and Penny seemed to have come to an agreement without Sheldon's help. Penny promises Leonard that regardless of the time spent apart their relationship won't suffer, sending him off with a heartfelt "I love you" and a kiss goodbye.

Continue reading: Big Bang Theory Finalale Ends Season 6 In Underwhelming Style: The Bon Voyage Reaction Recap

It’s that time of the year again – the season of season finales – and one of those is the final episode of Big Bang Theory. Not the final final one, though we don’t see any reason to care, if it were otherwise. But still, the series will trudge on, promoting stereotypes of smart people, while at the same time peddling to those exact same nerds. At least there’s some nice juicy drama in this one though, which comes from the thriving relationship of Leonard and Penny, surprisingly. But when Leonard gets a gig with an expedition with Steven Hawking’s team, the question is, where will their relationship go from there? Of course, Raj and his girl are having some problems too and Sheldon’s problem is that he, surprisingly, is afraid of being left alone and wants Leonard to stay. Of course, you don’t really care about the plot, because The Big Bang Theory is mostly about Sheldon’s oh-so-hilarious misanthropic quips (which, coincidentally, might be symptomatic of some form of autism).

In six seasons, Big Bang has more than doubled its viewership and is currently one of CBS's top productions. So, who knows, maybe there's something there. If you’re keen on watching the team’s shenanigans, the finale will air as usual tonight (Thursday) on CBS.

Johnny Galecki, aka Leonard, arriving at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Continue reading: Big Bang Theory Finale Promises To Be Packed With Surprises And Cliffhangers

The Big Bang Theory Finale ties up season 6 tonight. We’re not sure if we should say SPOILER here in big capital letters, because all you should expect is a nice bit cliff hanger, ready to be picked up in season 7.

"This time, the adventure is for Leonard," Simon Helberg, who plays everyone’s favourite aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz explained. "Howard finds Stephen Hawking's crew is sending out an expedition to the North Sea, and he gets Leonard a job, going on a boat for four months." This, like Howard’s trip to space in the previous season, threatens tension with the characters better half. "The obstacle is Penny and Leonard have never been better," Helberg continued. "So, is he really going to leave her for four months?" But it’s not just about those two either, and thank heavens for that, as Jim Parson’s Sheldon Cooper has a large part to play. As the BBT has developed, Sheldon has become the most-loved character on the show, with Parsons winning numerous awards for his betrayal of the socially awkward genius. Sheldon doesn’t want his best-bud Leonard to leave either, and that, as you can imagine, will have hilarious consequences.

The Big Bang Theory cast enjoy the Choice Awards

Continue reading: Big Bang Theory Finale – Expect To Be Left Hanging

Comedy legend Bob Newhart makes his debut on The Big Bang Theory on Thursday (May 2, 2013) with a role that has been a long-time coming for both Newhart and producer Chuck Lorre. The co-creator of the CBS show has been constantly hounding the six-time Emmy nominee for roles on his shows, and Newhart finally agreed on 'Big Bang' - on two conditions.

"I had only two things that were paramount: No. 1, my scenes had to be taped live. There's a tendency to pre-tape a lot of stuff and put a laugh track on it and you lose something," he told the Hollywood Reporter, "No. 2, I wanted it to be a semi-recurring role. He was fine with both and later called me with the story of Professor Proton." Newhart's character is an influential man from Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon's (Jim Parsons) childhood.

The Big Bang Theory's ratings continue to grow - something rare in the U.S. television world - but Newhart thinks he knows why the show's reruns are beating top show such as American Idol. "It's beautifully cast, has great writing and it's intelligent," he said, "There was a longing for something intelligent -- to credit the audience being intelligent. It doesn't talk down to the audience at all.

Continue reading: What Were Bob Newhart's Two Conditions For Joining 'The Big Bang Theory'?

The geeks are coming. American Idol can’t beat out the Big Bang Theory when it comes to the ratings; people enjoy Sheldon, Leaonard, Howard and Raj just too much to switch off for some talent show.

But it’s not just the brand new episodes of Big Bang that are making the American Idol bosses angry; the re-runs are even keeping those wannabee stars off the top spot. The new episode brought in 11.2 million viewers and a 3.0 rating at 8 p.m., in the 18-34 demographics. The 9 p.m. repeat episode brought in 10.8 million viewers and a 3.2. TV execs love the 18-34 gang because advertisers love them too. They’ve got a bigger disposable income, and are more likely to splash out. Pus, they’re the easiest to market to. Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar have reached prominence with their roles in The BBT, and have become household names because of it. This success has lead to a significant rise in their salaries, with reports of a rise from $60,000 to $200,000 per episode during the fourth season.

The gang minus Leonard and Penny

Continue reading: Big Bag Theory Tops American Idol In Raitings – Geeks 1 Singers 0

The last time the cast of The Big Bang Theory appeared at PaleyFest, some four years ago, their sitcom wasn't considered among the Top 40 rated shows in the United States. Now, the Cecil Thomson starring show has the most viewers in the coveted 18-49 age range and was the second most watched show last week, with over 20 million viewers.

Reruns of the show have been difficult to avoid, which explains the big figures, though the show is still considered one of the most popular in the United States. "You're kind of forced to watch the show now," joked actor Simon Helberg during the show's PaleyFest celebrations this week, "We're shoving it down people's throats, and then they're learning that they love that." It appears to be a theme of Chuck Lorre's shows - when a new episode isn't showing, you can bet a rerun won't be far away on the schedule. The Big Bang Theory follows two roommates, physcists Leonard (played by Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) as well as their friends and colleagues, played by the likes of Helberg and Kunal Nayyar. "There's something impossible to fathom about viewers and numbers and things like that," Parsons explained. "I can barely picture 20 people in one room. If you want to say 17 or 18 million, well you've lost me."

Despite celebrating four years at the top, the Big Bang cast were careful to give away any major plot developments, though did explain that Thursday night's episode includes the discovery of a letter from Howard's long-lost father. As for eventually wrapping up the sitcom, Helberg had a couple of ideas, "Well I think (Howard's) pants will probably be as skinny and probably a bit tighter. I think that Sheldon will probably still be sitting in his spot. It may be in a different apartment. I think he'll sit in that spot until he's in a home. Howard and Bernadette probably will ... God, God help them if they have children. We know she hates them and we know that Howard, essentially, is a child. So I wish them luck."

Continue reading: Big Bang Theory: Four Years Celebrated At PaleyFest 2013!

Roll in the Christmas specials! The world (of avid TV fans anyway) eagerly awaits the Christmas episodes of things like Downton Abbey and Doctor Who. And of course, as people are marking off days until the seasonal episode of their favorite shows, CBS have released the trailer for the seasonal edition of The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon and his crew are up to their usual meant-to-be-nerdy, slightly grating antics in The Santa Simulation.

As the boys gather for “a rousing game of Dungeons and Dragons”, the girls will have a night out and try to find a date for the awkward Koothrappali a date (remember children, gender appropriate activities are a must in sitcom universe). Can you guess where this is heading by now?

Surprise, surprise, Sheldon hates Christmas for a number of snooty reasons (he hates the overuse of words like ‘tis and ‘twas and the custom of giving only one stocking, when everyone knows they should come in pairs), but a present from Leonard will prompt a Christmas Carol-esque flashback into Christmasses past. Overall, it looks like it’s going to be an eventful Christmas for the most infamous nerds on TV. The show airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

Two-and-a-Half Men is the show that forks out the most for its lead actors; last year Charlie Sheen topped Forbes' list of TV's Highest-Paid TV Actors list with $40m and this year its new lead Ashton Kutcher has taken over the prestigious spot, albeit with a decidedly smaller sum of just $26m.

Hugh Laurie for his role in 'House' and Ray Romano, for a now cancelled 'Men of a Certain Age' were runners up to Kutcher, each raking in $18m. We'd all be happy to plum for second place in this race. Aside from Laurie, it was entirely sitcom actors that scored the bigtime in this list, with stars of 30 Rock, Last Man Standing, Men, and The Big Bang Theory - Alec Baldwin, family favourite Tim Allen, Jon Cryer, and Jim Parsons and Alan Galecki, respectively, all managing to make it into the top ten.

However, as much as it's always great to celebrate in the successes of others, for women in the equivalent category, financial success seems to not be quite so easy. Sophia Vergara from Modern Family is this year's female top earner, but at just (ha! just?) $19m, she's lagging behind Kutcher by $7m! Plus, the genres in which these women find their careers is far more varied than men - still including comedy, but also drama, reality and medical dramas all find their way into the list. Desperate Housewives is one show that truly shows women multitasking, and Felicity Huffman and Eva Longoria, two stars of the show, both appear in the top ten. Although men still earn more than women, it seems the ladies can take the prize for versatility.